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Solids slow going...

Hello all,

My 5 and a half month old started solids almost two weeks ago. We started with rice cereal, and now have moved on to oat cereal. It seems to be going okay, but I'm having a lot of difficulty getting baby to open his mouth. I have to "trick" him by getting him to smile or laugh so that I can get some food in. And then, he gets a really dissatisfied look on his face. Like he's disgusted with both the food and with me.

From everything I've read, I know that solids is supposed to be a slow and learning process. I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that everything will get better. Does anyone have a similar story or any tips that would make the process a little smoother?

Re: Solids slow going...

My opinion would be to slow it way back. Give this page a once over (and then keep it for reference) and let him show you the way... he doesn't need the solids now anyhow. And ticking him to eat something he finds repulsive at this point seems kinda rude

Think of what that must be like.. picture it - you're at the table with hubby he tells you he's going to give you a bite of something wonderful and delicious - like your favourite holiday pie, and once the spoon enters your mouth you find it's calamari or something equally as slimy...

Re: Solids slow going...

I agree about slowing way down. If he doesn't want it, there is really no reason at all to worry or force it. In fact, continuing to force it just means more battles with food. He'll learn to eat eventually, and enjoy it Food is fun! Nom.
Basically, until your baby is a year, they're really just learning how to deal with solids. They're learning about textures, how to swallow, everything. Your breastmilk is still their primary food!

I imagine oat cereal is ok, but rice cereal has really really low nutritional value. They recommend it a lot, but I think that's been changing. You could wait a while and then try something with more nutrition like smooshed avocado or banana. My son ate a lot of avocado between 6 months and a year

A link on the page lostmyid (lol) put up lists both as good first foods. I never bought baby food, so I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure we saved money this way!

Re: Solids slow going...

Originally Posted by @llli*sarahekd

Food is fun! Nom.

I think the above describes the perfect approach. At under a year, solids aren't nutritionally necessary. Breastmilk provides everything the baby needs (with the possible exception of iron and Vitamin D). (So says my pediatrician, who not coincidentally is a big believer in vitamin drops.) So why give solids at all, right? Well, because you want the baby to get experience with new tastes, textures, and motor skills so that when solids do become nutritionally necessary, he's ready to chow down.

So until the baby takes the lead and demonstrates that he needs to eat solids, my feeling is that they should be a stress-free, fun game. Baby eats a teaspoon full of solids? Terrific! He tastes it and then spits is out? Fine! He won't open his mouth and smears it all over the tray? Good, he had fun!

Some babies really HATE being spoon-fed. My kid was one. If a spoonful of food approached her mouth, she would turn her head away or bat the spoon across the room. We tried every trick we could think of to get her to open her mouth and take the spoon, but ultimately we had to give in and stop trying to spoon-feed her. We just put food on her tray and if she was interested, she put it in her mouth. It was a lot less work than the spoon, and she obviously never lacked for nutrition, since she's always been in the higher percentiles for height and weight. Nor did she become a picky eater: at age 3.5, she will try most things and loves veggies- she's the only kid in her preschool class who will sit down and eat salad at lunch, with no prompting.

Re: Solids slow going...

Hello everyone,

Thank you very much for your feedback. I re-read my original post, and I guess maybe I wasn't too clear... I have never forced solids onto my LO. The moment he shows signs of frustration or fussiness, we call it quits. Some days that is in 20 minutes, and others it is in 2 minutes. I agree that food is fun, and I really appreciate all of your comments.

I have some questions though...

I thought you are supposed to start solids no later than 6+ months, because of the lack of iron in breast milk. Is it bad to wait much longer than that? How do you get your baby iron if he's not eating much for solids?

And, I was told by our pediatrician to start with all of the baby cereals (rice, oat, barley, and wheat) before moving on to other foods - like veggies or fruit. Is this not the case?

I'm getting so confused! I just want what is best for my little guy... I don't want to mess it up!

Re: Solids slow going...

I have never forced solids onto my LO.

Don't worry- it didn't sound that way! I personally thought you might be a bit stressed that your baby wasn't eating enthusiastically, though.

I thought you are supposed to start solids no later than 6+ months, because of the lack of iron in breast milk. Is it bad to wait much longer than that? How do you get your baby iron if he's not eating much for solids?

If your baby won't eat solids, or doesn't eat much solid foods, vitamin drops are a good alternative, as is concentrating on iron-rich foods. And that 6 months thing is really just a guesstimate from the medical establishment. Most babies do just fine with only breastmilk, which generally has enough iron. However, some breastfed babies do become anemic, particularly after 6 months- perhaps their moms' milk is lower in iron, or perhaps the baby has a harder time accessing the iron that is there. So pushing iron-rich solids at 6+ months is the docs' way of playing it safe. If you're at all questioning your child's iron status, a simple heel stick and blood test for anemia can put your mind at ease.

And, I was told by our pediatrician to start with all of the baby cereals (rice, oat, barley, and wheat) before moving on to other foods - like veggies or fruit. Is this not the case?

The only reason to start with cereal is that cereal is fortified with vitamins and minerals. Aside from that, it's pure starch. Not the healthiest stuff! If you want to start with fruits and veggies, you should feel free to do so, particularly if you choose to give your baby a vitamin supplement.

Re: Solids slow going...

Originally Posted by @llli*kittenkaboodle

Hello everyone,

Thank you very much for your feedback. I re-read my original post, and I guess maybe I wasn't too clear... I have never forced solids onto my LO. The moment he shows signs of frustration or fussiness, we call it quits. Some days that is in 20 minutes, and others it is in 2 minutes. I agree that food is fun, and I really appreciate all of your comments.

I have some questions though...

I thought you are supposed to start solids no later than 6+ months, because of the lack of iron in breast milk. Is it bad to wait much longer than that? How do you get your baby iron if he's not eating much for solids?

And, I was told by our pediatrician to start with all of the baby cereals (rice, oat, barley, and wheat) before moving on to other foods - like veggies or fruit. Is this not the case?

I'm getting so confused! I just want what is best for my little guy... I don't want to mess it up!

Thanks again for the help... gotta run, he's up from his non-nap!

Kitten

I certainly didn't mean to imply that you were forcing things <3 It sounds like you're doing great! I think opinions about feeding can always be a little emotional. The whole trick to get a baby to open their mouth is something that a lot of people have done in our culture, but I know some people that are opposed to it.

I know that dr's often voice concern about iron and Vitamin D. Depending on where you live and the color of your skin (yes, I know that's wikipedia :P), Vitamin D really shouldn't be too much of a problem if you ever go outside. Iron is a little trickier, but here's a quote from LLL:

"Commercial, iron-fortified cereals are often the first foods served to babies who are not breastfeeding because they need the extra iron, but breastfed babies are rarely anemic as the iron in human milk is well-utilized. If there is concern about the baby's iron levels, a simple test can be done in the doctor's office." From this link.

The thing about iron fortification is that the iron in cereal isn't usually as bio-available as natural sources. That is, they could be eating a ton of iron in cereal but only absorbing a tiny tiny bit. However, even the tiny bit in breastmilk is really well absorbed! As far as increasing iron in the diet, some people think that starting meat earlier than the AAP (pedi's organization) recommends is a good idea rather than finding artificial sources. Cereals really don't have that much nutritional value-even the iron availability is questionable! It's fortified-not naturally occurring, so what did people do before fortification?? Unless your baby has symptoms of iron deficiency (fatigue, etc.), it's shouldn't be a big concern.

Pedi's recommend cereal first for many reasons. My internet-fueled paranoia makes me suspect that they or the med school where they learned gets money from food companies that fortify things with iron. (There needs to be a tinfoil hat emoticon.) But, I also know they recommend it because rice is about the least likely food to cause an allergic reaction. Avocados and bananas aren't that likely either, though. Plus, bananas are sweet, so babies are more likely to try them out as breastmilk is really sweet. Have you ever tried it? You should! Have an adventure!

Food is fun, but I was definitely stressed about it when my son was about 6 months old. I didn't want to mess it up either. I think we as mothers are often too hard on ourselves! My advice about getting him to like food and start eating it is to let him try and feed himself, like others said. He won't get much at first, but he doesn't *need* much. Really, he doesn't!!

We started our guy on small pieces of avocado and he's always been find and happy. It's slow going at first to let him eat as much as he wants, and sometimes, I do show him that something is meant to eat-that is, I take a bite to show him. A big benefit of this has been that he really trusts us when we feed him... Sometimes, he'll look skeptical but still take a bite <3 The other benefit we've seen is that our 16mo is really good at feeding himself for his age. He's still messy, but he can already manage to get food to his mouth with a spoon and fork (sort of... more like a sideways shovel ). We've never needed baby food (avocado and banana are like instant baby food) and we've never really even needed a food mill or freezing system of home made stuff.

If you look up 'baby led weaning/feeding', you'll probably find lots of info on it. I don't know all the ins and outs, though I'm sure there's a momma on here who does!